Wire stretcher



July 15, 1947. RQACH 2,423,903.

WIRE STRETCHER I Filed July so, 1345 INVENTOR. ROBERTEROACH Patented July 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a wire stretcher and it is one object of the invention to provide a stretcher of such construction that it may be enaged with a post and then swung about the post so that a strand of wire with which the stretcher is connected will be stretched tightly and held across the post while staples are driven into the post to secure the wire to the post.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stretcher, including a lever made of wood or metal which carries a member for rotatably holding a spool of wire so that the spool may be moved along a fence line and wire unwound from the spool, the lever also carrying a device for engaging the wire and applying pull thereto for stretching the wire when the lever is applied to a post and swung about the post.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher wherein a lever is provided with means for partially encircling a fence post and holding the lever in engagement with the post while the lever is being swung about the post to stretch the wire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher which is simple in construction and very easy to operate by one man, thereby saving much time and labor.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top view of a wire stretcher of the improved construction.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view illustrating the manner in which the wire stretcher is operated.

Figure 4 is a view of the wire engaging member carried by the lever.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the wire engaging member.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which the carrier for the spool is removably mounted.

This improved stretcher has a bar or lever l, which may be formed of wood or metal and is rounded for a portion of its length to provide a handle 2 of such diameter that it may be readily grasped in a persons hands while stretching a wire. The forward portion of the lever is squared in cross section to provide flat side faces and against one of these flat faces is disposed the shank 3 of a hook or hill 4 which is curved longitudinally so that it will fit about a fence post 5. Since the bill or hook extends partially about the post in close contacting engagement therewith the lever will be held to the post and may be swung about the post for stretching a wire Without slipping out of engagement with the post. Fasteners 6 and I arepassed through the shank 3 and the forward portion of the lever to firmly hold the hook to the lever. The fasteners are bolts, and bolt 1 has its head screwed into a reducer coupling 8 at the inner end of a pipe 9 serving as a carrier for a spool In of wire I l which may be barbed wire or other wire suitable for building fences. By unscrewing the pipe from the coupling an empty spool may be removed and a filled spool substituted in place thereof. This also allows the spool and pipe 9 to be removed while stretching the wire across a fence post. Since the spool is rotatably mounted upon the tubular shaft or rod 9 it may be rolled along the ground beside the fence posts preparatory for stretching the wire and securing it to the posts. A handle I3 extends transversely from the rear end of the lever in order that the lever may be conveniently grasped and pull exerted to roll the spool along the ground.

A hook I4 is mounted through the lever with its bill opposite the bill or hook 4 and this hook l4 carries a chain l5 to the outer end of which is connected a wire engaging member I6 consisting of a plate carrying lugs I! about which the wire is trained in such manner as to enable the bends and friction to hold wire without damage to the wire. There has also been provided a claw I8 with which barbed wire may be engaged to very effectively prevent slippage when a strand of fence wire is engaged about the lugs l1. Any link of the chain l5 may be engaged with hook I4, it being important that the effective length of the chain between hook I4 of plate It be such that when the lever is swung about the post to the dotted lined position of Figure 3 a portion of the wire will extend across the post in position to be secured to the post by staples. If a very long stretch of wire is to be tightened the chain may be used full length, some of the slack taken up, and the chain then shortened to finish the stretching and hold the wire tightly stretched while staples are driven into the posts across which the wire passes.

When the stretcher is in use for stretching a wire the front end of the lever is disposed against the post with the hook or bill engaged about the post as shown in full lines in Figure 3. The chain and the wire engaging member carried thereby is then extended towards the rear or outer end of the lever and the wire engaged with the lugs. After the wire has been connected with the wire engaging member the lever is swung about the post towards the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3 and during this movement the wire will be tightly stretched across a row of posts along a fence line and held close to the posts so that staples may be driven into the posts and secure the stretched wire to the posts. The spool will then be applied to the bar 9 and rolled along the ground to the next post of the fence line and the wire stretched and stapled to the posts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A wire stretcher comprising a lever, a bill curved longitudinally and having a shank disposed against a side of the front end portion of the lever with the bill extending longitudinally from the front end of the lever, fasteners passing through the shank and the lever and firmly holding the bill to the lever, a bar in longitudinal alignment with one fastener and constituting a spindle for carrying a spool of wire, said bar projecting transversely from the front end portion of the lever at the opposite side thereof from said bill, and a coupling carried by said bar and having threaded engagement with the last mentioned fastener for detachably mounting the bar.

2. A wire stretcher comprising a lever, a. bill projecting from the front end of said lever in position for engaging a post transversely thereof and permitting the lever to be swung about the post, an anchor carried by said lever in spaced relation to its front end, a chain having one end connected with said anchor, and a wire engaging member at the other end of said chain consisting of a plate provided with lugs projecting from a side of the plate adjacent the free end thereof for engagement by a wire to be stretched and a claw carried by the plate inwardly of the lugs.

3. A wire stretcher comprising a lever, a bill projecting from the front end of said lever in position for engaging a post transversely thereof and permitting the lever to be swung about the post, a wire engaging member consisting of a plate having lugs projecting from a. side thereof adjacent one end for engaging a wire to be stretched and a claw carried by the plate inwardly of the lugs, and a flexible member extending from the other end of said plate and secured to the lever.

ROBERT E. ROACI-I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 838,481 Waller Dec, 11, 1906 303,312 Nadelhoffer Aug. 12, 1884 651,897 Stoolfire June 19, 1900 71,429,977 Smith Sept. 26, 1922 

